In The Complete BBC, seven arcade games are brought together into one action-packed collection, presented as a two-cassette set. The package boasts some well known titles as well as some original ones.

The first game you encounter is The Genesis Project. Here you look out from your space ship's cockpit onto a smoothly scrolling section of space. Into your view dart enemy ships. The objective of the game is to seek out and destroy six 'Cobolithium' devices which are scattered throughout the galaxy.

Unfortunately, to destroy just one of these 'Cobolithium' devices requires more energy than you have available. This means that you have to keep nipping off to find an unsuspecting asteroid to destroy. The debris from one of these can be converted into more phaser energy.

Previous Next

The next offering is a memory game called Flip! This is an original game played on a grid of squares. Behind each square is a tiny animated character. Players take it in turns to reveal two of the squares at a time. The object is to remember under which squares the various characters are and by doing so find a matching pair of them. There is also a word hidden beneath the whole grid. This is gradually revealed as more and more pairs are matched. The game continues until one player guesses the word hidden under the grid. The game is simple in concept but is surprisingly addictive in practice. The animated graphics, colour and musical tunes make it very enjoyable to play.

Previous Next

Chrysalis is a variation on the traditional Pac-Man game. In Chrysalis, you run around a maze eating the eggs of the mutant worms which are chasing you. Failure to eat the eggs allows them to hatch into more worms which in turn lay more eggs and so on.

A nice feature of the game is that the maze contains a number of swing sections which can open or close off various paths through the maze. Careful use of these swing sections can give you the edge you need over your pursuers.

Previous Next

Drain Mania is the next game in the package. This is set, of all places, in a sewer. Your task is to move through the underground passages collecting gold coins. To hinder you in your search, there are three sewer monsters which ooze out of pipes at the top of the screen and gradually move downwards. Contact with any of the sewer monsters is fatal, so you have to either avoid them, or kill them by head-butting and kicking them!

Previous Next

Space Agent Zelda is a multi-screen game in which you must safely pass through all manner of traps and difficulties. Each screen presents a series of increasingly difficult tests. I managed to guide my character through the 'Stampy stompers', over the disappearing bridge and past the floating monster but after this I cannot tell you much about the game as I kept getting killed. A fiendishly difficult game.

If you still have any sanity left after Agent Zelda then try the sequel to it - Bug Eyes 2. The object of the game is to release Agent Zelda from her prison by collecting 25 keys, which are scattered around the strange landscape in which you find yourself. This must be done within a time limit and to further hinder you most of the keys are placed in awkward places where you have to risk life and limb to get them. There are also many strange creatures which must be avoided if you are to stay alive. Even Uncle Clive's C5 makes an appearance!

The scenery in the game, your character and the various nasties are all drawn on such a huge scale they really have to seen to be believed.

The final game in the package is Mega Sports. This in fact consists of seven sub-games or events you can compete in and test your skills. For a start, there's a 100 metre sprint, skeet shooting, long horse, archery, a hurdles race, and both high jump and long jump.

There is nothing very new in Mega Sports and many similar games are available. However, it is very nicely implemented in this variation with excellent graphics, good sound and finishes off the package most satisfactorily.

Any package which offers seven games for under 20 quid must be good value. What makes The Complete BBC stand out is the quality of every game in the package. In their use of graphics, animation, sound effects and game designs they are all very professionally produced. All of them could easily be sold as single games and in some cases this is exactly what has been happening.

In short, The Complete BBC is a must for every self-respecting games addict!